Herbal Flying Oil
I have been working on a flying ointment for more than year, aiming for a recipe that was relatively non-toxic but that could still effectively aid astral and dreamwork - and what a tightrope that has been to walk! I did a lot of research first, looking into both historical and contemporary flying ointments. Then I began with herbs traditionally used for astral travel and dreamwork: mugwort, cinquefoil, hops, clary sage, chamomile, poppy seeds, yarrow, tansy, sterile hemp seeds (not a controlled substance), calamus root, and saffron threads. I wanted every aspect of the herbs, so I macerated these in oil for a number of months in order to capture the full profile. Separately and to minimize the negative effects of heat, I did an oil infusion of fresh dittany of Crete using a warm water bath and combined that with the first oil. This is my base oil. Influenced by a recipe from traditional witchcraft that consisted of mugwort, rose, and jasmine, I decided to give the flower absolutes a try, because from gardening I know how powerful the effects of flower scents can be. Jasmine in particular is a very uplifting scent. I also strengthened the maceration of the herbs by adding the essential oil versions: mugwort, clary sage, hops, blue chamomile, blue yarrow, blue tansy, and calamus, bringing them to 20% of the final product. The beautiful color of the resulting oil convinced me not to add beeswax to make it into a solid ointment. Top

Imagine how pleased I was to find that this oil is indeed a powerful aid to astral and dream work, including lucid dreaming. One witch has referred to it as a "broom booster," as it can make travel faster. Before lying down, apply dabs to pulse points and gently rub in. Don't slather it on; it's too strong (and don't apply it at all to animals or children, and don't apply to mucous membranes - it is perfectly capable of going through regular skin and might irritate mucous membranes). Another practicioner has said that the effect is greatly potentiated if instead of applying it to the skin, some drops are added to an oil diffuser. The scent is pleasantly herby, dominated by the mugwort.The oil contains no synthetic anything.

I am very interested to hear any feedback on this oil. Two people have reported that after not using the oil for a week or so, they would suddenly smell it, even though it was not in the vicinity. If you have had a similar experience and have any interpretation of what it means, let me know.

Now that I have finished this one, I have begun working on a flying ointment based solely on flowers. If you would like to be notified when I am done that one, click here. Top

Herbal Flying Oil
1/4 oz. (2 drams/7.5 ml) $15.00

Check out the floral flying oil

Uses in Witchcraft & Magic:

Astral Work
Dreamwork & Lucid Dreaming
Sabbatic Work

*There is disapproval of some of these herbs - mugwort, yarrow, calamus, and tansy in particular - in aromatherapy, perfumery, and some strains of botanical medicine. I have not found any convincing evidence that they are the demons they are sometimes made out to be, but it is only fair to raise the point. The tansy used is Tanacetum annuum, which is not considered to be toxic, and the calamus is from Europe and Nepal rather than India; this calamus has much less beta-asarone than Indian calamus. Still, no herb or even food should be used every day, and pregnant folk know not to add anything unusual into their system. Top

Using Magic Oils

© 2006 Harold A. Roth; No reproduction without permission